Click-Through Rate (CTR)

The percentage of people who click on your ad after seeing it. It is the primary indicator of ad relevance and creative quality.

How to Calculate CTR

CTR = (Total Clicks / Total Impressions) × 100

Interpreting CTR

A high CTR means your ad is stopping the scroll and resonating with the audience. A low CTR suggests your creative is boring, confusing, or targeting the wrong people.

The "Link Click" Distinction

On platforms like Meta, ensure you are looking at Outbound CTR (Link Click-Through Rate), not just "All CTR." "All CTR" includes clicks to expand the text or view the profile, which don't drive traffic to your site.

Benchmarks for CTR

Benchmarks vary wildly by platform. Search ads have high CTRs because intent is high. Display/Social ads have lower CTRs because they interrupt browsing.

• Meta Ads (Prospecting): 0.8% – 1.5% is typical. >1.5% is excellent.
• Google Search (Branded): 10% – 30% is standard.
• Google Search (Non-Branded): 2% – 5% is standard.

Related Benchmarks

Meta Ads Benchmarks See average CTRs for Facebook & Instagram Google Ads Benchmarks See average CTRs for Search & Shopping

Frequently Asked Questions

By Benchmarketing Research Team Reviewed by Performance Marketing Editorial Reviewed March 2026 · observations Q1 2023 – Q4 2024